The Delhi Capitals (DC) players would like to forget Wednesday (April 3) night, as it proved to be a challenging outing for them, resulting in their third defeat of the season. The DC bowlers were relentlessly attacked by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batters, who posted a colossal total of 272/7 - the second-highest in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
In the daunting task of chasing this target, the situation worsened when DC lost their openers within the first three overs. However, captain Rishabh Pant scored his second fifty of the season, with a rapid 55 off 25 balls, while South African batter Tristan Stubbs contributed 54 off 32 deliveries. Despite their efforts, it wasn't sufficient to chase down the substantial total. DC continued to lose wickets and was eventually bowled out for 166 in 17.2 overs, handing KKR a commanding victory by 106 runs.
Virender Sehwag slams Rishabh Pant
Virender Sehwag, the former Indian opener, expressed his disappointment with Rishabh Pant's approach, criticising him for not carrying his team closer to the target. Sehwag believes that the DC captain should have aimed to convert his fifty into a century.
"Yes, it (Pant's innings) was good. But you didn't score much in the first two games, and now, when you're scoring runs, you are giving your wicket away. You should have stayed, reached a century, and remained unbeaten on 110 or 120. Because runs dry pretty fast," Sehwag told Cricbuzz.
Sehwag also commended Pant's return to form, noting his impressive strike rate. He also mentioned that the match provided an ideal opportunity for Pant to practice his batting, suggesting that this experience could replace a net session.
"His batting was good, he has come back to form and scoring at a brilliant strike rate. Aaj vaise bhi pehle over se pata tha ki haarne waale hain, jeetenge toh nahi (Today, we knew from the very first over that they weren't going to win). This was the time to do some batting practice. Instead of going to nets now, you could've played 20 extra deliveries here. Then you could've probably skipped practice overall and returned in the next match straightaway," Sehwag opined.
Pant's Comeback
Rishabh Pant made his comeback to competitive cricket nearly 14 months after a horrific car accident in December 2022. Before the season started, he was declared fit to play as the wicketkeeper-batter. He has since scored two fifties, including a match-winning 51 off 32 balls against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). With only one win in four matches, DC is currently in ninth place in the points table.
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